BBC i-player continally pausing

[dave188]

I have a KDL-40WE663 on a wired 200mb/s broadband connection with little other activity on the network.

I don't use the i-player often but have noticed a relatively quick display of the various programme options, etc. but once I connect to play an item - be it a film or a standard programme - the whole thing pauses, I get the roundel for about 5 seconds before playback resumes for about 20-30 seconds before pauses again - repeat, repeat, repeat. It's driving me up the wall!

I have the v8.631-1000-4.000-002 firmware (latest I think).

The BBC app data shows:

v.34.166.0.0

Device SONY TV-2017-MIDRANGE-2k-FVP

Build time Thur Feb 20 2025 11:04:12 GMT+00:00

Beta mode - tried YES and NO - no difference in playback pauses

Environment LIVE

Screen resolution 1280x720

Layout resolution 1280x720

Tried it with both normal and high quality settings - no change

Channel4, for example, is 100% fine, no pausing, no roundels.

Anyone got any ideas?

[dave188]

Further update to this issue of what appears to be buffering on the BBC i-player app - either by the green button (for catch-up tv) or directly accessing the i-player app. On a 200mb/s little utilised broadband wired link.

I have contacted the BBC and they indicate that the KDL-40WE663 is, they say: "I have had a look at our supported models list, and unfortunately, the 40WE633 is not listed".

This sounds very much like a software incompatibility between the SONY (v.8.631) and the updated BBC i-player software -  all was well prior to the BBC updating their app. Even the BBC app reports the Device as SONY-TV-2017_MIDRANGE_2k-FVP - which sounds about right for the SONY v.8.631 software of 2017.

Is it not time for SONY to update the likes of the BBC to add this model (range) of TV to their support list - or is there possibly some other issue going on that the BBC update has caused this issue and something that can be fixed locally, i.e. by me?